


The Not-so-Tiny Guardian

by TheObscureFluffs (TearsAndFlowers)



Category: Sonic Boom (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Cute, Fluff, G/T, M/M, Romance, Sequel, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6350710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TearsAndFlowers/pseuds/TheObscureFluffs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonic and Knuckles have been happily dating for quite a while now, and are now welcoming two new members of the family! But when Knuckles gets a life-changing call from Tails, he soon finds that he has a difficult decision to make.</p><p>(Sequel to "The Tiny Guardian". Make sure you read that one first!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We actually wrote this pretty much immediately after the first one. xD (I just kept forgetting to post it until now, whoops!)
> 
> Anyway, hope ya enjoy.

Sonic let out a small groan as he woke up, though, as always, he was careful not to sit up too quickly, as his tiny echidna boyfriend Knuckles was resting there. He couldn't remember how long they'd been dating, but it'd been the best however-long time of his life.

He placed a hand over Knuckles, then slowly sat up, letting the echidna fall onto his hand.

"Hey, c'mon, time to get up if you wanna go into town with me," Sonic said playfully, giving Knuckles a quick wake-up kiss.

"Okay okay, I'm up," Knuckles mumbled sleepily, but chuckled.

He stretched and yawned, then rubbed his eyes. "So, what are we gonna do today?"

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno. I'm never really a plans guy," he said. "Maybe we could just walk around a little after breakfast?"

"Sure," Knuckles replied. Honestly, he didn't really care what they did; everything was a lot more fun when they were together.

Sonic smiled, then got ready to go out for the day, sticking Knuckles inside his bandana as he always did. As he started to leave, he glanced over to the tiny bed on the table and scoffed.

"There's that perfectly good bed I made for you, and you never use it!" he teased.

"Eh, you're way better than a bed anyway," Knuckles replied with a smirk.

"You didn't know? I'm a bed 2.0," Sonic continued to tease on their way out. "Super advanced model. Of course I'm comfier. I'm a bed that makes beds; that's how awesome I am."

Knuckles chuckled. "Totally awesome," he agreed.

Sonic giggled in response.

\--

As the two got to town, they performed their usual methods to keep Knuckles a secret. At this point, they were pros; Sonic could even manage talking to Knuckles without being considered suspicious. Even at breakfast, they had a system; it was mostly because Knuckles was comfortable enough with just Sonic and a few others knowing while Sonic got his own thrill about keeping his tiny boyfriend a secret.

Once they'd finished up, Sonic headed out further into the town, trying to think of what Knuckles would like to see. As his eyes locked with the pet store sign, he made a beeline for it, walking up the steps and staring over at all the animals that were gazing back up at him.

"Hehe, this place look familiar, Knux?" he asked.

Knuckles' eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah, I remember this place!"

Sonic smiled and pulled Knuckles out of his bandana, letting him rest on his hand. "See anyone y'like today?"

Knuckles looked around, spotting the puppies. He scanned through the adorable fluffballs, but the one in particular he was looking for wasn't there.

"Aw, my little friend isn't here anymore..." he said, sighing in disappointment.

"Hm?" Sonic took a moment to recall. "...Ohhh, right, the little brown pup?"

"Yeah," Knuckles confirmed.

"I guess someone came by and bought him..." Sonic figured, frowning at Knuckles' sad expression.

"That's too bad," Knuckles replied, "I felt like we had something special..."

Sonic smiled sadly, petting Knuckles' head. "Don't get too down, okay? We'll come back some other time and they might have some other--"

His words of comfort were cut short as he heard an explosion from off in the distance. He sped a bit away from the pet store to search the skies, eventually managing to catch sight of Eggman in the distance.

He knelt down, placing Knuckles on the ground. "I better go; gotta do my hero thing, y'know?" He winked.  
"Do you want me to come back for ya, or are you just gonna meet me at home?"

There were a few occasions where Knuckles preferred to walk himself home to take in the sights, so he wanted to give him the option.

"I'll meet ya back at home," Knuckles replied.

Sonic nodded, then bolted off to go take care of Eggman.

Knuckles began the stroll home, enjoying the lovely weather. Even though he loved being carried around by Sonic, it felt good to stretch his legs every now and then.

Then, suddenly, a trash can came crashing down in front of him, nearly giving the echidna a heart attack. However, a familiar-looking puppy rolled out of it, whimpering sadly from the impact.

Knuckles gasped in shock, quickly rushing over to help the poor puppy.

"Oh my gosh! You okay buddy?" he asked, even though he knew he wouldn't get a reply.

The puppy squeaked sadly, but once it locked eyes with Knuckles, it lit up happily, standing up and wagging its tail excitedly.

However, as if it suddenly remembered something bad, its tail drooped down and it looked away from him. He wore a collar, but the name tag part of it was scratched out.

"What happened to you?" Knuckles asked, suddenly wishing he could speak Dog.

The puppy whimpered, resting down on the ground and "saying" nothing else.

Knuckles sat down next to the sad fluffball and stroked its fur comfortingly, wishing he knew what to do.

The puppy relaxed against his touch, letting out tiny whines and pressing against the echidna to show that he was content.

"So...I guess you have an owner now, huh?" Knuckles mumbled sadly. "Though...where are they anyway? How come you're out here all alone?"

The puppy whined further, seeming very sad about answering. It tried to convey this to Knuckles, but it was hard.

Knuckles' eyes went wide as realization slowly dawned on him.

"...th-they're not coming back for you, are they?"

The puppy shook its head, hiding its face behind its paws.

Knuckles' heart broke.

"Aw, c'mere..."

He hugged the pup, stroking its fur again.

The puppy barked happily, rubbing against Knuckles, though a little dirt managed to rub off on the echidna in the process.

Knuckles didn't mind though. His heart melted instantly.

He wondered what he should do. He wanted so badly to take the puppy home, but...would Sonic be alright with that?

After a few minutes of silence, he made up his mind.

"You can come stay with me! And even if Sonic says we can't keep you...w-we'll at least make sure you go to a good home where you'll get lots of love and never be left behind. Okay?"

The puppy perked up at this, nodding. It looked around, then started walking over to a nearby fountain. It hopped in, splashing around and lapping at the water, then came out, much cleaner than before as it shook itself off. It then got Knuckles onto its back, barking at him, as if to ask where to go.

Knuckles smiled. "That way!" he said, pointing.

The puppy rushed off, heading towards wherever Knuckles led it.

\--

As it neared Sonic's shack, it slowed to a stop, now off to the side of the entrance. Some mumbling could be heard from Sonic, but Knuckles couldn't tell what he was saying.

"H-hey, Sonic, I'm home!" Knuckles greeted as casually as he could.

There was a small yelp from Sonic, and the puppy walked in with Knuckles on its back. Sonic was turned away from the two, back facing them.

"Ah, so... what's up?" Sonic asked, sounding just as "casual".

"I-I, uh...I have something to show you..."

"O-oh, uh, really?" Sonic asked. "Me too, actually..."

"R-really?" Knuckles asked. "U-uh...w-who should go first?"

Sonic chuckled sheepishly. "I-I'm guessin' we're talkin' about two toootally different things." There was a small pause. "Should we... just go at the same time?"

"H-heh, s-sure..."

"All right... now!" Sonic turned around, his eyes widening as he noticed the puppy that Knuckles was riding on. In his hands was a baby Mobian kitten, who seemed very attached to Sonic as she clung to his arm.

"U-uh... well..."

"Well..."

Sonic got off his hammock, then knelt down to Knuckles and showed him the little baby. "I found this little one abandoned near where I was fighting Eggman. She was all dirty, so I cleaned her up and wrapped her in this blanket."

"Awww..." Knuckles felt his heart melt for the second time that day. "Hi there!"

The little cat stared at Knuckles, reaching out to him. "Ba?"

"Easy," Sonic told her. "That's my boyfriend you're lookin' at."

The kitty giggled, then lightly grabbed Knuckles' hand.

Knuckles giggled with her. "Nice to meet ya!"

He looked down at the puppy he was riding on. "And I think this guy is happy to meet you too! He was all alone too...guess you've got something in common already, huh?"

The cat smiled.

"Sooo... y'wouldn't mind if she stayed?" Sonic asked.

"If you don't mind this guy staying too," Knuckles replied, petting the puppy's head.

"'Course not!" Sonic told him. "It's just... since this is a baby... and we're keeping her..." He paused.  
"...That kinda makes you a dad, y'know? Makes us dads..."

"Y-yeah..." Knuckles realized.

After that fact sunk in, he practically squeed with glee. "I'm a dad! You're a dad! We have a baby! And a puppy too! We're all a family!"

Sonic chuckled. "I never knew you wanted to be a dad!"

Knuckles blushed, chuckling in return. "Y-yeah, I've kinda thought about it before...though I was worried that a kid would think it was weird how tiny I was," he admitted. "And...I also just wasn't sure if you'd be okay with it."

"Aw, Knux," Sonic smiled, lightly petting his boyfriend. "I'm sure any kid would love to have you as a dad," he assured.

"Y-ya think so?" Knuckles smiled back.

"You kiddin'? 'Course I do!" Sonic exclaimed. "You got the heart for it."

Knuckles' blush deepened. "A-aww, y-you..."

"I mean, y'proved it today by bringin' home this little guy," Sonic pointed out, petting the puppy's head.

"So...if we're all family now...the two new members need names, don't they?" Knuckles asked.

"Hmm, that's true..." Sonic thought for a moment, then grinned. "Hey, why not name the pup after your real name? Nakka--"

He stopped, still not able to pronounce it right. "Er... 'Kuru'. Kuru for short..." He blushed.

"Hehe, that works!" Knuckles chuckled. "Now what to name our kid...?"

"Mmm, I dunno yet." Sonic suddenly perked up. "Oh, but check this out!"

He grinned, then looked down at the kitty. He reached down to her tummy, then started running his hand along it. The baby giggled, then blew out a small flame, though it quickly turned into smoke and vanished away.

Knuckles' eyes went wide. "Whoa! That's cool."

He thought for a moment, resting a hand on his chin.  
"Aha, I've got it: Blaze!"

"Blaze?" Sonic chuckled, then looked down to the little kitty. "How do ya like that?"

The baby cheered happily, then grabbed up Knuckles and hugged him.

Sonic smiled. "Hey, watch it; he's mine!"

Knuckles smiled and hugged her back. "Blaze, and Kuru--welcome to the family."

Kuru jumped up happily, barking to show his approval, while Blaze continued to cheer.

Sonic smiled and took Knuckles from Blaze, setting him on the floor. "What should we do now with the new family, bud?"

"Hmmm...I dunno, what kinds of things do families do?" Knuckles asked.

Sonic became stumped. "...Huh, good question."

Knuckles looked at Blaze and Kuru. "Either of you got ideas?"

Kuru and Blaze glanced at each other, not seeming to understand.

"Hmm..." Sonic shrugged. "Well, first, we gotta prepare stuff so we can keep these two around."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Knuckles replied sheepishly. "Didn't think about that..."

"Wanna take a trip back to the village then?" Sonic asked with a smile.

"Sure!" Knuckles returned the smile.

"Then I guess you get to go back to your favorite spot," Sonic told him, offering his hand down to Knuckles.

"Yee!" Knuckles climbed onto his hand.

Sonic chuckled, amused at Knuckles' excitement, then placed him inside his bandana as per usual.

Once Blaze was surely secured with one arm, he left the house, Kuru following closely behind.

\--

The rest of the day was spent gathering up everything they'd need for the new members of their family. Sonic was sure he looked odd carrying a baby, but he ignored any looks he got.

He then returned home and began to set everything up, though Knuckles was obviously of little help due to his size.

It was alright, though; Knuckles was content to play with the new baby and puppy while Sonic got everything ready.

"Having fun without me?" Sonic asked with a fake pout as he finished up. Blaze giggled in response, as if to tease him.

"Come join us!" Knuckles offered with a grin.

"I wouuuld, but..." Sonic smirked and picked Blaze up. "It's time for a certain little princess to go to bed."

"Awww," Knuckles replied, disappointed. "Well, can me and Kuru say goodnight at least?"

"I guess," Sonic said playfully, holding Blaze up to them.

Knuckles hugged Blaze and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.  
"'Night!"

Then he held Kuru up to her, who licked her cheek.  
"Kuru says goodnight too!"

Blaze smiled at the kiss, but let out a tiny whine as Sonic took her over to her newly-set-up crib.

"No complaining now," Sonic said, placing her inside. She pouted, but seemed to accept it as Sonic tucked her in.

"And you." Sonic pointed at Kuru. "Off to bed." He pointed at the doggy bed.

Kuru also whined, but otherwise complied--though, not without giving his new owners each a puppy kiss, and Knuckles an affectionate nuzzle.

"Euck." Sonic giggled, lightly wiping off the slobber on his cheek with a paper towel.

He then went over to Knuckles. "And you're comin' with me."

He picked the echidna up and laid back on his hammock. Knuckles snuggled into him, smiling wide.

Sonic pet him affectionately. "Someone sounds happy," he said, hearing a small rumbling coming from Knuckles' throat.

"Hehe, sure am," Knuckles replied.

"And you're a proud dad, hm?" Sonic teased.

Knuckles nodded. "Mmhmm!"

Sonic found it a little cute, relaxing back and eventually drifting off to sleep.

Knuckles fell asleep around the same time, still wearing a smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a rude awakening in the morning as Sonic's communicator began going off. The hedgehog rolled over, groaning and not wanting to answer it.

Knuckles stirred in his sleep. "Mmph...f-five more minutes..."

The communicator continued to ring, but Sonic didn't move, still not interested in answering.

Kuru was soon woken by the noise as well. Annoyed, he got up and went over to the source of the disturbance, growling at the communicator.

The device, still around Sonic's wrist, beeped as Knuckles pressed it.

"Hello? Sonic?" Tails' voice called.

Knuckles, now that he was awake, nudged Sonic.  
"Sonic, I need think Tails wants to talk to you," he whispered.

Sonic stirred slightly, but quickly fell back asleep.

"No no, Knuckles, that's okay!" Tails assured. "Honestly, I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Knuckles tried not to speak too loudly; he didn't want to disturb Sonic or Blaze. "What about?"

"Well, I've thought about your, um... 'condition' for a while, and I think I might've figured out a way to get you to a more normal size!"

"Whoa, really??"  
Knuckles had always wondered what it would be like to be "not small"...

"I-I dunno, though...I mean, what if I end up not liking being tall for some reason?"

"Unlikely possibility, all things considered," Tails mused. "But I could revert you back to, uh, "normal" if such a situation occurred."

Knuckles breathed a sigh of relief; it wasn't nearly as difficult of a decision if he had the option to change his mind later on.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot," he replied, having made up his mind. "I wanna see what it's like for you guys!" he added with a chuckle.

"All right! Since I'm guessing Sonic's asleep, do you have a ride of some kind?"

Knuckles looked down at Kuru and grinned. "I think I can manage."

"See you when ya get here then!" The communicator clicked off.

Knuckles carefully climbed down off of the hammock and pet Kuru's head. Then he climbed into the puppy's back.

"Hi-ho Kuru, away!" he exclaimed.

Kuru barked excitedly and galloped outside.

\--

A short while later, the two arrived at Tails' lab.

"All right, Knuckles, over here," Tails told him, showing the echidna a large machine. "Step inside."

Knuckles nodded. He turned to Kuru.  
"Wait here."  
Kuru obeyed, sitting down. He wagged his tail happily, but otherwise didn't move.

Knuckles went up to the machine, a little nervous. After all, this was a pretty big change in his life (no pun intended, of course).

"So I just...step in here and...?"

Tails nodded, then pressed a few buttons, the door suddenly closing with a loud startling 'CLANG'.

The inside of the machine began to light up all around Knuckles, practically blinding him the severity.

He instinctively closed his eyes and shielded his face with his hands, trying to block out the bright light best he could.

Kuru's ears perked on alert, but the nice fox didn't seem worried, so he stayed put for now.

Tails waited roughly a minute, then... opened the doors.

Knuckles stepped out slowly, blinking his eyes open. He looked down at Tails, and...

_...wait a minute._

"W-whoa!"

Knuckles was disoriented for a moment; everything looked so different now!

Kuru ran over to him, sniffing him curiously and gazing up at him in awe.

"Hehe, you ended up bigger than I thought, but I guess this would be your mobian size," Tails said, walking up to him. "How do you feel?"

Knuckles thought for a moment. "I feel...awesome!" he replied.

He bent down and picked up Kuru, giggling as he received a lick on the cheek.  
"Oh yeah, I don't you've met this little guy yet. Tails, this is Kuru; Kuru, Tails."

"Hello, Kuru!" Tails greeted politely, petting the dog's paw. "So, Knuckles... how surprised do you think Sonic will be?"

"Oh, he'll be in for a... _big_ surprise." Knuckles giggled at his own joke.

Tails rolled his eyes. "You're just as bad as he is."

Knuckles chuckled. "What can I say? He's been such a... _big_ influence on me!"

"I'm leaving." Tails gathered up his things and walked into the other room.

"Hey, don't make such a... _big_ deal about it!" Knuckles called after him.

"Good-bye, Knuckles!" Tails shouted from the other room.

Knuckles couldn't stop snickering as he left, carrying Kuru in his arms.

"Hmmm, now how to surprise Sonic..."

\--

Sonic was still sleeping when he returned home, though Knuckles' footsteps seemed to stir him.

"M-mmm..."

"Hey Sonic, I've got a _big_ surprise for ya," Knuckles greeted with a smirk.

Kuru looked up at him, as if even he was growing tired of the bad puns already. Knuckles was honestly too giddy to care at the moment.

"Huh?" Sonic asked groggily. He turned his head to Knuckles, completely silent for a moment until he jumped on alert, letting out a startled yelp as he fell to the floor, banging his head.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Knuckles immediately rushed to his side.

"Ow..." Sonic groaned and rubbed his head, looking up to Knuckles. "D-don't worry about me. Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm good," Knuckles replied. "S-sorry, didn't mean to scare ya like that," he apologized, chuckling sheepishly.

"W-what happened?" Sonic asked, standing up. "You're even bigger than me!"

"Tails found a way to make me Mobian-sized," Knuckles explained. "Whoa, you're right, I _am_ bigger than you! It feels kinda weird looking down at you instead of up, hehe..."

"Heh, no kidding," Sonic said with a chuckle. "Guess now _you'll_ have to be the one to bend down for a kiss now."

Knuckles smirked. "Like this?"  
He bent down and gave Sonic a kiss on the cheek.

Sonic blushed, but retaliated by pulling Knuckles in and giving him a firm kiss. "Exactly."

Knuckles blushed too, then chuckled.

"Oh yeah--so how's our baby doing?" he asked. "Hehe, think she'll still recognize me?"

"Who knows?" Sonic said with a shrug. As if on cue, they could hear Blaze making noises from her crib.

Knuckles went over to her.

"Good morning, Blaze," he said softly, smiling.

Blaze looked up at Knuckles, but gave him a confused face.  
"...Ba?"

"I, uh...grew a bit since ya last saw me," Knuckles explained, chuckling sheepishly. "...you still recognize me...r-right?"

Blaze squirmed in response, looking confused.

"Heh, pick her up, Knux; bet she'll recognize your warmth," Sonic said.

Knuckles gently picked up Blaze, cradling her close to his chest.  
"Recognize me now?" he asked hopefully.

Blaze's ears flickered, and she purred as she nuzzled Knuckles' chest. "Na!"

She paused, then looked down towards the floor, her eyes quickly widening as she squirmed in Knuckles' hold.

"What's wrong?" Knuckles asked, worried.

"I think she might be afraid of heights..." Sonic replied with a frown.

"Oh..." Knuckles pondered what to do.

"Hey, look at me," he said gently, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry, you're totally safe. Daddy's not gonna let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

Blaze squirmed more, but looked up at Knuckles and nodded.

"Though, if it helps at all..."

Knuckles carefully sat down in a nearby chair. "This any better?"

Blaze nodded into Knuckles' chest, her tail swishing back and forth happily while she purred.

Knuckles smiled. He could practically feel his heart melting right now.

"Ha, see?" Sonic grinned and gave Knuckles a cheek kiss. "She recognized ya fine."

Knuckles blushed. "Hehe, she sure did!"

Sonic stroked Blaze's ear lovingly. "Never thought I'd have a little cat baby for a daughter, y'know?"

"I never thought I'd have a daughter," Knuckles replied. "Or a puppy. Or a boyfriend!"

"And now, y'have all three!" Sonic exclaimed.

Knuckles' smile widened into a grin. "Yeah! I...I'm so happy!"

Sonic chuckled. "Hm, now, what to do..."  
He placed a hand on Knuckles' shoulder. "I'd love to finally show ya off."

"You think your friends will like me?" Knuckles asked. "I mean, I know some of them already know about me...but do they know that I'm your boyfriend?"

"Ah... that's right." Sonic frowned. "I told Tails about it since he knows ya personally, and I'm pretty sure Sticks knows about it in her own Sticks-way..." He rolled his eyes. "I bet Eggman's been spyin' on us at some point, so he probably knows too."

"So, I guess that just leaves Amy..."

Sonic could sense that he was unsure.  
"...Hey." He kissed Knuckles' cheek. "I'm sure she'll like you, okay?"

Knuckles blushed and smiled. "Hehe, okay."

"Besides, she loves babies too." Sonic pet Blaze's head. "I'm sure she won't mind that we're dating and have a kid."

"Heh, I hope you're right..." Knuckles replied.  
"Speaking of...does Tails know he's an uncle yet?" he added with a chuckle.

"Huh... that's right, he doesn't." Sonic smirked, then put on a thinking face. "Now how would we tell him?"

"Hmmm..." Knuckles started trying to think of ideas too.

"Hm." Sonic paused, then snapped his fingers. "I got it!"  
He knelt down and placed Kuru's leash on his collar. "Let's not worry about that for now, okay? We'll head into the village first!"

"Oh, okay." Knuckles wondered what Sonic had in mind. "We bringing the whole family?"

Sonic gave a soft snort. "Why not? 'Sides, you wanna leave Kuru or Blaze here by themselves?"

"Oh yeah, good point," Knuckles chuckled.

He went to stand up, but then he remembered Blaze's fear of heights. He pondered what to do.

Sonic caught on. "Give her to me?" he offered, holding his hands out.

"Sure, you can have a turn!" Knuckles said with a grin, handing over Blaze. "And I'll take over walking Kuru," he added.

"Nope, I get both!" Sonic teased, holding Blaze with one arm and gripping Kuru's leash with the other.

Knuckles raised a brow. "You sure about that...?"

Sonic nudged him, trying to indicate that he was playing a game of sorts with him. "Yeah, they're mine! You can't have 'em."

Knuckles smirked. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Sonic grinned and bolted out of his shack. He was careful not to run too fast, but still, he wanted to give Knuckles a challenge.

"Oh no you don't!"

Knuckles ran after him, a huge grin on his face. At his original size, he never would've stood a chance--but like this, he felt he could do almost anything! Maybe not run as fast as Sonic, but he could at least keep up well enough that he didn't lose sight of him.

Sonic giggled mischievously; he had to admit, it was nice that Knuckles was able to chase him now.

"Catch me if you can, Knucklehead!"

"Oh, it is _ON!_ "

Knuckles ran even faster--faster than he'd ever run before.

Sonic went into the forest, trying to see if he could lose the echidna.

Knuckles kept up with him as well as he could.

Unfortunately, he was too busy focusing on Sonic that he wasn't really looking where he was going, and he suddenly tripped on something. Before he knew what was happening, he crashed face-first onto the ground.

" _Oof!_ Ow..."

Sonic instantly stopped. "K-Knux?"

He walked back to Knuckles, Blaze squirming in his grasp. Sonic set her down, and she crawled over to Knuckles, patting his head.

"Na?" she called worriedly. "Kei?"

After a moment, Knuckles recovered and smiled sheepishly.

"H-heh, I'm okay...j-just tripped..."

Blaze tilted her head. "Ba bu?" She held his hand in her tiny ones.

Knuckles' heart melted. He smiled warmly at his daughter, already feeling a little better.

Blaze reached up, grabbing Knuckles' muzzle and pulling him down towards her, then licking his forehead. "Bu..."

Knuckles giggled. "Hehe, thanks; I feel all better now!"

Blaze cheered happily, then Sonic picked her back up, promptly handing Knuckles Kuru's leash.

"H-heh, sorry. Guess I ran too fast."

"Nah, it's okay," Knuckles assured him. He got to his feet and dusted himself off, before taking Kuru's leash from Sonic. "I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going!"

"I think that's kinda natural," Sonic told him. "I mean, you're so used to everything in your way being, well, obvious." He reached down and picked up the large rock Knuckles had tripped on. "Like, you definitely would've seen this if you were smaller. But now you're not."

"Heh, good point," Knuckles replied. "It's still weird being taller than you," he added with a chuckle.

"Then you're not taller than me!" Sonic said. "I'm just shorter than you."

"Hehe, well 'shorty', shall we get going?" Knuckles asked in a teasing tone.

"Pft, rude," Sonic playfully scoffed. "I'll have you know that I'm nearly the tallest in the whole darn village." He puffed out his chest proudly.

"Well now you're the second nearly tallest," Knuckles replied with a smirk.

Sonic snickered. "Well, I'd say you are the tallest! I think the only one who'd be taller than you is Eggman."

"Oh boy, is he gonna be in for a big surprise!" Knuckles said with a grin. "Pun totally intended."

Sonic laughed at the idea. "Imagine the look on his face when he sees you!"

Knuckles laughed too. "Oh man, that's gonna be priceless!"

"Man, I wish we had a camera!" Sonic grinned wide as he resumed walking towards the village, Blaze getting the giggles from hearing her daddies laughing.

"Yeah, then we could frame the picture and hang it up on the wall," Knuckles joked.

"That'd be amazing," Sonic said, chuckling at the mental image.

He then headed into the village, ignoring any looks he got for carrying the tiny cat baby. "Must feel weird not having to hide, huh?"

"Yeah, it is..." Knuckles replied, suddenly feeling a bit shy. He wasn't used to being in plain sight like this...

"Hey." Sonic held Knuckles' hand with his free one, earning a small gasp from a few villagers who'd been staring. "You all right?"

Knuckles blushed lightly. "Y-yeah...j-just not used to all these people staring at me, ya know?"

Sonic nudged him. "They're just admirin' ya, that's all!"

Knuckles' blush brightened as he smiled. "So...where are we going anyway?"

"Anywhere you want," Sonic replied. "Where do you wanna go now that you're... y'know?"

"Hmmm..." Knuckles thought for a moment. "I'm kinda hungry, actually."

"Wanna go to Meh Burger then?" Sonic asked.

"Sure!" Knuckles replied.

\--

Sonic walked up to the counter, leaning over it as Blaze clung to him. "One chili dog and a meh burger."

Dave left the counter to get their food, though Sonic quickly got impatient waiting, as usual, then took the tray of food as it was given to him, holding it carefully in one hand while Blaze tried to help. He headed over to a table with Knuckles, then sat down.

"First time you'll ever be able to finish one of these, huh?" he asked, pointing to the burger.

"Yeah...you're right!" Knuckles realized.

Sonic grinned, picking up his chili dog and taking a bite.

"MY BABY--oh..."

Sonic's ear twitched as he turned his head, seeing Lady Walrus standing there, probably having taken a quick glance at Blaze. He chuckled.

"Similar color, wrong kid," he said. He looked around to see if he could spot the walrus' baby, then noticed the little one far off dangling very precariously from the leaves of a tree; how he got up there was anyone's guess.

"Wuh-oh. Be right back, Knux."

He handed Blaze over to Knuckles, then rushed towards the tree, Lady Walrus following with another shout of "MY BABY!" upon seeing where her child was.

Knuckles, meanwhile, protected Sonic's chili dog from Kuru (the mischievous pup having climbed up onto the table first chance he got) until Sonic got back.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"And who might you be?" a vaguely familiar voice asked; Amy.

Knuckles almost jumped. "O-oh, uh..."

Thankfully, the presense of a new person turned Kuru's short attention span away from Sonic's chili dog, so Knuckles could actually turn to face Amy.

He cleared his throat. "My name's Knuckles."

"I'm Amy," she replied. She put on a suspicious face, staring at Blaze and Kuru. "So... you know Sonic? I saw him sitting with you..."

"Y-yep, sure do..." Knuckles hoped his nervousness wasn't too noticeable.

Amy raised a brow. "How do you know him exactly?"

"It's...a long story," Knuckles replied. He wasn't lying; he wasn't even sure how to begin explaining that...

_'Well, I used to be really tiny and live on a floating island'...yeah, there's no way to put it that doesn't make it sound crazy,_ he thought.

Amy glanced down at Blaze, a thought floating around in her head. She figured she'd try. "...Are you two... dating?"

Knuckles knew there was no use denying it. "Y-yeah."

He silently begged Sonic to get back soon; he was pretty sure this was about to get awkward...(well, _more_ awkward.)

"Oh." Her face shifted to an emotion that Knuckles couldn't place. "Then... why did you decide to date him?"

"B-because, w-well..." Knuckles blushed. "...because I love him."

Amy paused at that, then suddenly giggled. "I see."

She lightly ran a hand through Blaze's fur. "You won't break his heart, will you?"

Knuckles was silent for a moment, taken a bit by surprise. Then he smiled softly.  
"Don't worry, I'd never do that to him."

Suddenly, Sonic came back. "O-oh! Amy... what are you doing here?"

Amy glanced over to him, then sighed softly, seeming to have mixed feelings. Though, she smiled.

"Just making sure someone's got your best interests at heart."

Sonic raised a brow as she walked away, then looked back to Knuckles. "Sorry about leavin' ya so suddenly, bud," he said, taking Blaze back. "Didn't know Amy was gonna come by."

"It's fine," Knuckles assured him. "Heh, might wanna eat your chili dog before Kuru goes after it again," he added with a chuckle, as Kuru started climbing onto the table again.

"Heh, right." Sonic picked up the chili dog, taking a small bite, though getting some chili sauce all over his lips. He snickered at the realization, then glanced over at Knuckles.

"Want a taste?" He leaned in, kissing Knuckles roughly.

Knuckles squeaked in surprise, flushing brightly. After he had a moment to recover, he kissed back.

Blaze squirmed and made tiny noises, Sonic pulling away upon hearing them.

"Heh, I think someone wants in on this." He lightly kissed the tiny red gem on her forehead.

Knuckles kissed her too, smiling.

Kuru jumped up on the table, wagging his tail hopefully.

"Oh, okay, one for you too," Knuckles chuckled, giving the pup a kiss on its fuzzy little head.

Sonic chuckled, then set Kuru down on the floor. "Sit tight, Kuru; don't want anyone freaking out that a pup's runnin' around on the tables."

He promptly finished up his chili dog, then sped away briefly, coming back with a handful of dog food for Kuru and a container of baby food for Blaze. He knelt down, holding his one hand out to Kuru, then held the other out to Knuckles.

"Soon as you're finished up with your burger, mind feeding Blaze?"

"Sure," Knuckles replied. "I mean, I've never fed a baby before, but I'm sure I can figure it out!"

Sonic showed him the spoon in the same hand. "Just open the container and use this."

Knuckles nodded. "Gotcha."

He quickly finished his burger, then got to work.

"Alright, Blaze, ya hungry?" He scooped out some of the baby food with the spoon and offered it to the baby kitty.

"Na?" Blaze sniffed it, then smiled and licked at the food.

"Hehe, eat up!" Knuckles encouraged, smiling warmly.

Blaze smiled at his encouragement, starting to eat faster. "Mmm..."

Knuckles couldn't help but let out a chuckle at how cute this was. "You sure were hungry, huh?"

Blaze giggled, finishing up the food and smiling happily.

"And you, Kuru?" Sonic asked, staring down at the puppy with his hand still extended and with a few bits of dog food still on it. "How is it?"

Kuru barked happily, wagging his tail, before finishing off his food as well.

Sonic smiled, petting the puppy's head, then stood up and turned to Knuckles. "So, what was Amy talking to you about?"

"She was just asking some questions," Knuckles replied. "It actually went pretty well!"

"Really?" Sonic asked, looking surprised. "Does she know that we're...?"

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, she figured it out pretty quick."

"Huh..." Sonic shrugged. "I guess I should care more about dating a guy, but considering I've been dating a doll-size echidna for the past however-long, I'm probably just used to it," he said with a chuckle.

Knuckles chuckled too.

"Oh, _Sonic!_ " a familiar voice suddenly called.

The Eggmobile flew into view, Eggman himself grinning evilly.

"Ready to be destr--uh...?"

He stopped midsentence when he caught sight of Knuckles, wearing a look of shock, confusion, and a sudden nervousness.

"Hi!" Knuckles greeted with a smirk.

"Ahh, just the guy I was lookin' for!" Sonic exclaimed with a grin. "What do you want this time, Eggface?"

"I-I...u-uh..." Eggman was completely speechless.

Knuckles grinned and cracked his...er, knuckles. "What do you think, Sonic? Should I take out the trash?"

"Heh, I'd love to see that," Sonic said, taking Blaze from Knuckles and then looking back up at Eggman. "Send out your lame-o robo, Egghead!"

Eggman remained silent for a few more moments. Then he shook his head, recovering from his shock, and he grinned.

"Oh, I think I've got an even _better_ idea..."

Suddenly, a claw shot out from the Eggmobile. Before even Sonic could react, it reached out and snatched Blaze up!

"Wha-- _Blaze!_ " Sonic called out worriedly.

Blaze whined and squirmed as she was brought back to Eggman.

"L-let her go!" Knuckles pleaded, beginning to panic.

Eggman just chuckled menacingly as he brought Blaze closer.

"Sonic!" Tails called, running up to the two along with Sticks. "Don't worry, I'll--"

"We'll take care of it, bud," Sonic assured. "It's personal now." He frowned, racking his brain and trying to think of something.

Blaze continued to whimper, squirming as Eggman took her in his grasp.

Sonic's eyes then widened as he got an idea. "Blaze, lights on!"

Blaze blinked, then giggled and threw her arms up in the air. Her gem sparked, and her body suddenly became engulfed in flames, quickly starting to spread onto Eggman's gloves.

"Wha--AAAAH!" Eggman screamed. " _PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT!_ "

Sonic grinned, then turned to Knuckles. "Hey, Knux, think you can throw me up there?" he asked.

"Sure thing!"

Knuckles carefully lifted Sonic in the air. He began to spin around, getting faster and faster by the second. Then, when the time was right, he let go--aiming his throw right towards the Eggmobile.

Sonic latched onto the Eggmobile immediately as he got there. "Whoa, you're just on _fire_ today, huh, doctor?"

Blaze turned her head as she heard her daddy's voice, then smiled, her flames dissipating. Sonic took her back, then stood up, stomping on one of the buttons of the Eggmobile, causing it to plummet straight to the ground while Eggman was still in shock.

Sonic leapt back, landing next to Knuckles, then his gaze slowly became more serious.

"Y'know, we don't exactly appreciate ya tryin' to mess with our daughter, 'specially since she doesn't like heights."

"Should we send him back home?" Knuckles asked with a smirk.

"Let's do it," Sonic replied, smirking back. "Tails, hold Blaze for a sec."

The confused fox was handed Blaze. "W-wait... did you say 'daughter'?"

"Here we come, Eggbreath!" Sonic exclaimed, rushing towards the Eggmobile.

Knuckles followed not too far behind.

"M-my beautiful mustache..." Eggman sobbed pathetically. "You'll pay for this, you little--"

Before he could finish, he was suddenly sent flying through the air, the Eggmobile having a large dent in it that hadn't been there a second ago. He screamed curses as he disappeared into the distance.

Sonic's smirk widened, clapping his hands off each other to get the dust off of them. "And don't come back!"

He glanced over at Knuckles, then gestured for him to come closer.

Knuckles went up to him. "Hm? What is it?"

Sonic pulled him in suddenly and gave him a victory kiss.

"Mmf!" Knuckles' face flushed badly. Once he had a moment to recover from his surprise, he kissed back.

Sonic pulled away after a moment with a smile, then went back to a speechless Tails, taking Blaze back.

"Heh, miss me?" Sonic asked the little cat, who cheered and snuggled against him. He turned back to Knuckles. "Let's go home, eh?"

Knuckles nodded. "Here, Kuru!" he called.

Kuru came running as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Sonic picked up the leash that was awkwardly dragging across the ground, then handed it to Knuckles. "Who knew that you'd be such a good teammate, heh."

Knuckles blushed. "Y-you really think so?"

"'Course!" Sonic exclaimed. "Your power with my speed? That's an awesome combo!"

"Yeah...we were awesome, weren't we?" Knuckles grinned.

"Mhm!" Sonic grinned back as he started heading back home with the three. "And this little one wasn't bad either."  
He ruffled Blaze's fur slightly, earning a happy squeak in response.

"Yeah, I don't think Eggman's gonna go near her after that!" Knuckles replied with a laugh. "Unless he wants to lose more of his moustache."

"Heh! Yeah, it's gonna take him forever to fix it!" Sonic laughed in return. "Whenever Blaze gets older, we can train her and she'll completely wreck Eggman!"

"Yeah! That'll be awesome," Knuckles said.

Kuru barked happily, seeming to agree.

Sonic returned to his shack, then sat down on his hammock with Blaze. "So, how are you likin' being big?"

"It's awesome!" Knuckles answered. "I can do all these things now that I couldn't do before! And I don't have to hide anymore..."

"Yeah, it's nice bein' able to show ya off, even if my bandana gets a little lonely now," Sonic admitted.

"Yeah...I do kinda miss my favorite spot," Knuckles admitted with a chuckle.

Sonic chuckled in return. "And now _you're_ the one who can pick _me_ up!"

"Hehe, you're right!"

"It's such a weird feeling too," Sonic mused. "I'm so used to being the one who carries _you_ everywhere."

"Yeah, it's kinda weird for me too," Knuckles agreed. "I'm so used to everything and everyone being bigger than me! Makes me a little dizzy sometimes," he added, putting a hand to his head. "Guess I'm just not used to it yet."

"You'll get used to it eventually," Sonic assured. "Though I guess you'd be a tough fit on the hammock now..."

Knuckles frowned sadly. "Oh, yeah, guess that's true..."

"Hey, don't worry. We'll make it work!" Sonic assured.

"Y...yeah, you're right!" Knuckles replied with newfound determination. If Sonic was confident, then so was he.

Sonic smiled and leaned back in his hammock, letting Blaze rest on him as he pet her.

"So...we just gonna kick back and watch TV or something?" Knuckles asked.

"If you want?" Sonic replied.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Knuckles replied. "I could use some relaxing time after the crazy day I've had so far," he added with a chuckle.

"Heh, yeah, I bet," Sonic said. "Still, that's what ya get for datin' the leader of a hero team!"

"And of course there's me not being small anymore," Knuckles pointed out. "That's been crazy enough on its own!"

"Heh, yeah, I know," Sonic said. He lightly ran his fingers through Blaze's fur.

Knuckles sat down and grabbed the TV remote, turning the TV on. He flipped through a few channels, then stopped on one that was currently showing a cartoon.

Kuru jumped up onto his lap. Knuckles smiled and stroked the puppy's fur as he watched his show.

Sonic moved off his hammock to sit next to Knuckles, and Blaze happily crawled onto Knuckles' lap too in order to pet Kuru. Kuru gave Blaze a lick on the cheek and nuzzled her. Blaze giggled and nuzzled Kuru back.

Knuckles' show was suddenly forgotten as he gazed down at the two, watching them with an expression of adoration.

Sonic was amused at how easily Knuckles was distracted. He slid his hand over and held Knuckles'.

Knuckles blushed when he felt Sonic's hand hold his. He gently squeezed Sonic's hand back, his smile widening.

Sonic chuckled, then pulled Knuckles in again for a kiss.

Knuckles' face went completely pink, and he let out a flustered squeak. After a moment, he kissed back, giggling softly.

\--

After spending the rest of their day at home, it was time for bed. Sonic gave a small yawn, then glanced over at his hammock. "...Maybe it'd be better if I went and got an air mattress?"

"O-oh...yeah, I guess that'd probably work out better, huh?" Knuckles replied, feeling a little sad.

"I'll be right back," Sonic said with a nod, running out of the shack.

Knuckles sat in silence while he waited for Sonic's return. Despite only having been this size for one day, he was already starting to feel a bit conflicted.

On one hand, he loved being "normal sized", and not having to hide or be helpless anymore. But on the other hand, he was already starting to miss riding in Sonic's bandana, or sleeping with him in the hammock, where he was close to Sonic's heart, and surrounded by his comforting warmth...

Should he stay this way, or go back to how things were before? Knuckles wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

_I guess I'll think about this more tomorrow,_ he thought as he let out a yawn.

Sonic brought back a boxed air mattress, then set it up, placing Blaze and Kuru in their respective beds so him and Knuckles to have some alone time.

"All right, c'mere," he said, rolling onto the mattress and reaching out to Knuckles.

Knuckles lay down beside him and snuggled close. Sonic snuggled back, then drifted off to sleep.

Knuckles took a little longer to fall asleep. Even cuddling wasn't really the same when he wasn't tiny anymore. But despite this, he eventually fell asleep too, holding Sonic close to his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do a "Team Rocket is blasting off again!" joke when they sent Eggman flying off, but I couldn't think of what to have Eggman say. Oh well...


	3. Chapter 3

Sonic woke up first early morning, but couldn't move due to Knuckles holding him so tight. Not that he minded, but it'd be hard to surprise Knuckles with breakfast when he couldn't even move. Still, he didn't mind it, so he just relaxed again.

Eventually, Knuckles began to stir. His eyes slowly fluttered open, followed by a yawn.

"M-morning, Sonic," he mumbled sleepily.

"H-heh, mornin'," Sonic replied. "...Mind lettin' me go so we can eat?"

"O-oh, sorry!" Knuckles said with a sheepish chuckle, letting go.

"Hey, I didn't say I minded!" Sonic told him, sitting up.

Knuckles smiled. He stretched and yawned, before sitting up as well.  
"So, what are we gonna do for breakfast today?"

"Mmm, I dunno. Blaze and Kuru seem to be fine in the village, so we could do whatever."

Knuckles nodded. "Wanna go to Meh Burger, then?"

Sonic nodded. "Sure!" He went over to the sleepy Blaze in the crib, the took her out, allowing her to rest on his chest. "You got Kuru's leash?"

"Yep!" Knuckles replied, already getting Kuru ready.

"Cool, so let's get goin'!" Sonic exclaimed, walking out.

Knuckles and Kuru followed not far behind.

\--

After a while, the two reached the village, getting a few more stares, probably from yesterday's events.

Knuckles couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. He still wasn't used to being out in the open like this, and the knowledge that he was being watched certainly wasn't helping.

"You okay, buddy?" Sonic asked, noticing that Knuckles was still off.

"Y-yeah..." Knuckles replied quietly. "J-just...still not used to this..."

Sonic reached over, holding his hand. "Better?"

"A-a little..." Knuckles replied, though he sounded unsure.

Sonic's touch usually made him feel safer--so why wasn't it working now?

"Just some anxiety ya think?" Sonic asked with a frown.

"Y-yeah, guess so..."

"Anything I can do for ya?"

Knuckles shrugged. "I dunno...just stay close, I guess?"

Sonic raised a brow and smirked. "You think you gotta ask me for that?"

Knuckles blushed, cracking a cute smile. "Hehe, guess not."

"I mean, how long have we been together? C'mon."

Knuckles smiled wider. "Y-yeah...you're right!"

"So I've got no reason to stay away, right?" Sonic asked.

"Right."

Knuckles squeezed Sonic's hand. "H-heh, sorry...it's just that, even though I'm not tiny anymore, being out where everyone can see me is still kinda scary..."

"Yeah?" Sonic questioned. "Well, maybe your kind just isn't very social or something?"

"I think it's just that I'm not used to being social," Knuckles replied. "I-I mean, I spent most of my life alone; and now I'm used to either being at home or hiding inside your scarf thingy, and I always felt safe like that...b-but now...th-this is just a lot to handle at once, ya know?"

"Yeah, I understand. You'll get used to it," Sonic assured. He then huffed cutely and turned his head away. "And this is a _bandana_ , I'll have you know. Scarves do not suit this hedgehog's style."

Knuckles smiled and shrugged. "Eh, tomato, potato," he chuckled.

Sonic giggled. "I don't think that's how it goes!"

"Oh...well, you know what I mean, right?"

"No, I don't," Sonic teased, nudging Knuckles' arm.

Knuckles didn't notice that Sonic was teasing. "Oh. H-heh, nevermind then..." he said sheepishly, as they arrived at Meh Burger.

\--

The four spent a while at the restaurant (or what was barely a restaurant), then started going through town, though Sonic began to take Knuckles back home when his noticed that the echidna still had anxiety.

"Still no change, huh?" Sonic asked as they walked. "Not even a little?"

Knuckles sighed sadly. "Nope, not really..."

"Mm..." Sonic looked away, deep in thought.

Knuckles was also deep in thought. He'd hoped that a good night's sleep would help him come to a decision the next day--but now that it was the next day, he only found that he was still unsure...

"You need some alone time, bud?" Sonic asked.

"Hm?" Knuckles was jolted out of his thoughts. "Oh, y-yeah...I just...need to think about some things..."

"Mm, okay." He held his hand out. "Gimme Kuru's leash then."

Knuckles nodded, handing it over.

"You be a good boy now," he said to the little puppy, who wagged his tail in response.

Sonic lifted Blaze up slightly, who waved good-bye, then walked off back to his shack.

Once he was alone, Knuckles began to wander aimlessly through the village as he became lost in his thoughts once more.

On one hand, he missed how things were when he was tiny: cuddling wasn't as enjoyable now, plus he still felt self-conscious when he was out in the open like this.

But on the other hand, being tiny again would mean going back to being helpless and dependent on Sonic for everything, unable to do anything himself.

Not to mention that, at a Mobian size, he was now considered "normal" and could actually fit in. But if he were to go back to his original size, well--he'd just be considered a freak of nature, he figured. And that was one of the _better_ reactions that he could imagine...

The echidna sighed. Neither option seemed any more favorable than the other. He felt lost, and he wished he knew what to do.

\--

Meanwhile, Sonic was at his shack, playing idly with Blaze and Kuru as he waited for Knuckles to return. He noticed that Blaze seemed to be worried too, but managed a smile for her.

"Don't worry. He'll be home soon," he assured, petting her head.

\--

Sometime later, Knuckles was sitting in a shady spot by himself. He was slouched over, his chin resting in his palm.

He sighed heavily. All the intense thinking he'd been doing today was already beginning to tire him out, and he still hadn't come to a decision.

"What do I do?" he asked himself quietly.

"Oh!" a voice exclaimed from behind him; Amy. She walked up to him. "It's you..."

Knuckles jumped a little, startled out of his thoughts.

"O-oh, hi Amy..."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting next to him.

"O-oh, uh...just thinking about some stuff," Knuckles replied.

"Like what?" she questioned. "I can tell it's important to you..."

"W-well..." Knuckles hesitated. "I-I mean, it's kinda complicated...and you probably wouldn't believe me anyway..."

"I've seen some pretty crazy stuff. Try me," she argued.

"Well..."

Knuckles thought for a moment. He realized that, while he was nervous and unsure about confiding in Amy, he didn't have any better ideas. So, he took a deep breath...and began to explain everything: his origins, how he and Sonic first met, how Sonic had taken him in when he had no home, how the two had eventually gotten together, what had happened at Tails' workshop the previous morning--and finally, the dilemma he was facing.

He kept it as brief as he could, but his rambling still went on for quite a while. He still wasn't sure what Amy would say, or if she'd even be able to help him, but he was sure of one thing: just being able to talk to someone about it already made him feel a little better.

"So...yeah," he concluded with a sigh, "that's my story. I-I just...I don't know what to do anymore..."

"Hmm," Amy hummed as his story was over, hugging her knees to her chest. It was a little unbelievable, but it made sense. "Well, no matter what you choose, I'm sure Sonic will still love you, so why not go back to the way you were?"

She glanced over at him. "I mean, think about it; this 'you' isn't really you. No one else might accept you that way, but Sonic always will, and isn't that the most important thing?"

She smiled. "I mean, don't lie; you feel the most loved when you're in your smaller form, right?"

Knuckles blushed a little and nodded, smiling. "Y-yeah...yeah, you're right!"

He stood up. "Thanks, Amy!" he said happily. "I know what I gotta do now."

And with that, he set off in the direction of Tails' workshop.

\--

Sonic had stopped playing with Blaze at the time, opting to watch TV instead as she sat in his lap. He was still concerned about Knuckles, but he knew the echidna could handle himself.

Still, he didn't want him being alone. "Hey, Kuru, can you go chill with Knux for me?"

Kuru barked, as if saying "yes". Without hesitation, the pup headed outside and began sniffing out where Knuckles had gone.

He followed the echidna's scent all the way to Tails' workshop.

\--

Sometime later, Kuru suddenly returned to the shack. And riding on his back was a tiny echidna.

Sonic's ear twitched, hearing the light sound of Kuru's footsteps, then turned his head, looking surprised to see Knuckles small again. "Knux?"

"H-hey, Sonic," Knuckles greeted nervously. "I-I, uh...i-is this okay with you? I mean..."

Sonic took a moment to react, then smiled, holding his hand out to Knuckles. "'Course it is."

Knuckles smiled back.

Kuru went up to Sonic; Knuckles climbed off of the pup's back and onto Sonic's hand.

Sonic chuckled, placing Knuckles back in his favorite spot.

Knuckles grinned wide, blushing a little as well. He relaxed against Sonic's chest, enjoying the familiar feeling of being close to the hedgehog's heart--both figuratively and literally.

"You missed this?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah," Knuckles replied. "Being Mobian-sized was fun and all, but...it just wasn't the same, ya know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Besides, if this is what makes ya comfortable, it's fine by me."

"Thanks, Sonic. That means a lot to me."

Sonic blushed slightly at that. "H-hey, just doin' my job, heh."

Knuckles looked over at Blaze. "You still recognize me, right?"

"Na!" Blaze exclaimed, reaching up to him. She pulled him down to her, then hugged him with a giggle.

Knuckles chuckled, hugging her back. "I'll take that as a yes."

"See? She still loves you too," Sonic said. "And I bet Kuru does too."

As if in response, Kuru tried to jump onto the hammock to join the rest of the family, though he couldn't quite make it.

Sonic lifted him on, then smiled at Knuckles. "We're your family, remember?"

Kuru immediately smothered Knuckles in puppy kisses, making the echidna giggle.

"H-hehe, yeah. The best family ever!"

Sonic grinned, getting everyone on his lap and into a gentle group hug.

Then the family proceeded to enjoy their quality time by snuggling on the hammock and watching TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. :3


End file.
